Sales are a necessary part of every business. Although it may require patience, resilience, and a lot of moving parts, closing sales & fostering long-term partnerships helps businesses reach new heights that may have been unattainable before. What does an average day look like for someone in sales, and what steps do they take to continuously improve? In this aX Profile, we sit down with Michelle Chavez, Sales Director at AUDIENCEX, to get these questions answered.

A Day in the LifeSo what exactly does a Sales Director do? According to Michelle, it’s quite a bit! “We prospect for new clients, call on leads, keep our current clients happy, and make sure that campaigns are being nurtured.”

“First and foremost, we spread the word of aX. We tell people our story. Some would say we are ‘sellers’, but I like to say that we’re the team that gets people engaged with who we are and what we do. We turn the letters that spell out AUDIENCEX, into a visual that a potential customer can see.”

Life Before AUDIENCEXMichelle has been in the digital media space for nearly a decade. She first started in market research, continued on to publisher direct for a gaming company, made her way to the network side, and then found herself at aX.

“I learned something new at each company I was with, and really had the chance to build my knowledge of ad tech and create my own selling style. I would have to say working publisher direct gave me the most knowledge I have today.”

While in publishing, Michelle first grew on the account management side, fostering long-term relationships and nurturing client success as she rose from an Account Manager to a Director of Account Management. Keen on helping even more clients, Michelle transitioned to sales. In the course of working on multiple departments, Michelle developed a keen understanding of advertiser needs, pain points, and campaign best practices.

“I was able to learn the ins and outs of how a campaign was created, set up, and executed, along with the strategy that went into planning for each client.”

Why AUDIENCEXSo what made Michelle choose AUDIENCEX? She stated, “I love what I’m selling. I truly think that we have a unique offering in the space. We are able to be everything that a client could ever want, and that to me is special. I’m not just selling a platform to a brand for one-time use. I’m selling a partnership and the ability to grow that relationship with each and every client. I also LOVE the people that I work with. I worked remote for 6 years prior to aX, so really my best friends were my dogs … hah! But here, I have made friends that I’ll have forever!”

(Of course, our office has a handful of dogs, too.)

When we asked Michelle what her favorite moment has been with the aX team so far, she replied undoubtedly with the company holiday party: “I love when all the offices are able to get together for a few days and hang!”

Continually GrowingHow does she continue to grow and learn in her role? In her own words, “I have a passion for advertising and media, so I read a lot! I keep up on the trades, listen to podcasts, and attend seminars on adtech.”

Helping Her TeamMichelle is always there for anyone on or off her team and ready to answer questions. “I’ve been doing this for a long time and some would say I have a unique selling approach. I’m happy to help anyone with creating a sales pitch or prospecting.”

She also turns to others for professional guidance and camaraderie, reminiscing to the days when she and David Madrid were “one of two sellers when I started way back in the day at the Culver City office.”

Outside the OfficeOn the weekends, Michelle loves to ride her horse Scooby. She’s been riding for over 20 years and occasionally participates in competitions.

Her current app obsessions are Instagram and Facebook. Other times, you can find her listening to “everything country” or marathoning Schitt’s Creek, a show on Netflix where Michelle is “obsessed with the characters and their stories.”

Fun FactsMichelle has a 2.5 year-old son, her favorite color is purple, and her lifelong favorite animals are polar bears.

Hypothetically SpeakingTaking a turn in the conversation, we asked Michelle about three things she thinks will change in the advertising industry over the next three years: “I think we’ll see a lot more brands going back to publisher direct. I think gaming advertising is going to be making a huge comeback with everything Google is trying to do with that industry. More brands are going to move towards pre-roll video. Lastly, I’m going to start praying that an alternative to GA comes along.”

In the short term, Michelle predicted that programmatic retargeting logic would likely serve her an ad for workout machines next, given that she just ordered an indoor rowing machine.

The FutureWhat is Michelle looking forward to most in the next five years? “It’s all about growth. Both growing my career in a big way, and maybe growing my family with another baby.”

About aX ProfilesaX Profiles provide a glimpse into the bright & fun personalities that shape our culture. Stay tuned each month for additional stories, and thanks to all who have shared their story!

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